The Vampire Princess Saga Box Set (3 page)

“
Did he talk to you? She asked surprised.

“
No, but I found his school ID”, I said, and my voice was low and enthusiastic.

“
How did you find it?” she asked taken aback.

“
He lost it in the library yesterday”, I continued more seriously.

“
What’s his name?” Mirta asked me and her voice was so curious as much as her look at his school ID.

“
His name is…
Eros
”, I said, smoothly.

“
Wow! That’s an enigmatic name!” she exclaimed as she was enchanted.

***

I
saw him in the corridor; he seemed lonely, as always. Some girls were looking at him, audaciously. However, he didn’t give a damn to that.

I
walked into the hall rapidly, trying to catch up him before the distance could avoid my approximation.

“
Eros!”

I said
loud, looking around as I was afraid. After all, it was the first time I had called his name.

He
stopped a few yards away from me, when he heard my fearful voice.

He
turned back and glanced at my tremulous hand, which was holding his school ID. He seemed to notice my wobbly hand.

H
e didn’t stare at me.

“
You had lost this”, I said and showed him his school ID.

It seemed
he knew I had in hands his school ID.

“
How do you know this’s mine?” he asked, with a stern voice.

“
You were the only one who was there yesterday.” I explained, trying to convince him about my certainty.

“
Now we are even!” he said, holding his school ID. “I found your brooch and you found my school ID.”

I agreed
, with a timid smile on my face.

“
You know my name and I don’t know yours”, he said looking into my eyes and quickly keeping his school ID into the pocket of his black jeans.

“
Valkyrie
”, I pronounced my name so fast that I could barely hear it.

“
Valkyrie…” he repeated, his voice was so soft. “It’s a beautiful name!”

“
Err, thanks”, I muttered, and my cheeks blushed with his compliment. I was feeling happy at the same time.

“
How long have you been studying here?” he asked, staring at me with a sexy grin.

“
In fact, it has been only a few. Before that, I didn’t live here”, I said, and lowered my head.

“
Yeah, me too”, he said, and shook his head in agreement. “This is my third day here… I came from other town”, he explained and turned his head from side to side.

“
I think we are a little alike… well, I mean… in our way of living”, I said, confused. I was afraid I had told him some kind of bullshit.

After all,
I felt like an idiot every time he was near me.

“
Maybe we are more alike than you suppose”, he agreed and stared at my face. “We are going to be good friends… if you wish so, of course.”

Our eyes
met each other for a few seconds, and then he looked away quickly at the wall.

“
Yes, I wish it.” I was glad to hear it.

“
So… see you tomorrow!” he said and pointed out a gently smile.

Then I noticed
his smile and through it I could see his white teeth.

“See you tomorrow…” I said as I seemed hypnotized by his smile.

My eyes were
stick on him, while he was walking away.

***

I
was eager to talk to my friend Mirta about him. I was shivering in pleasure, happiness, about the new friend I had made.

W
hen I had concluded my talk about the conversation I have had with Eros, my friend Mirta had a contradictory conclusion.

“
Are you in love with him?” she asked suddenly.

“
Am I in love? I didn’t even have time to know Eros very well!” I responded, shaking my head negatively.

“
You don’t stop talking about him.” She looked at my face. “You may have fallen in love with him since the first time you saw him.” she deduced then.

“
What a fertile imaginative you’ve got!” I exclaimed, disagreeing.

I couldn
’t believe that, I being in love with Eros.

“
I fell in love with Christian like that, since the first time I saw him in the schoolyard”, she confessed me and I could see love in her look.

“
Christian?” I inquired, and raised one eyebrow. I didn’t know who she was talking about.

“
He’s considered the most handsome guy in school.” She said pride of his merit.

“
Does he know you’re in love with him?”

“
No, he doesn’t… I’ve never had the guts to approach him; he’s always surrounded by girls and…” She looked away.

“
And?” I asked, looking at her face.

“
I will never have a chance to be with him…” she confessed finally.

“
Why did you think like this? You are gorgeous and beautiful… you are clever…” I said, staring at her face.

“
It’s a hard competition”, she said, hopelessly.

***

I came along Mirta to the gym; third graders were training basketball to compete on a regional championship.

Several
students were around to watch the training. Mirta wasn’t there to watch the game, but to be aware of who was playing. She insisted on showing me who was Christian, the boy she was in love.

He was really
handsome, tall, his brown eyes, his athletic body and his golden hair made him almost a Greek god.

Beside
his beauty, he used to behave like a lousy arrogant.

He was an arrogant guy,
as if he owned the whole place, even the game. He was the best player in the court; he had already scored many times and he was very much applauded by his supporters, who screamed his name all the time.

“
He’s awesome!” Mirta exclaimed, excited.

I
kept watching the match, ugly-faced, dissipating my repulsion for Christian.

But for all I knew
about that game, he wasn’t thrilling the crowd with amazing shots, he was someone in the court who wished to attract people’s attention.

CHAPTER 8

I woke
up in the middle of the night, after midnight. Sweat was pouring down my face, I was gasping, though the weather was cool. I could feel the cool wind spreading out in my bedroom.

M
y body was wet, spitting out a dream I had minutes before.

I sat
on my bed to try to catch my breath; my heart was beating so fast, as if it wanted to break out my chest.

I tried
not to think of anything and make that strange sensation get away from me.

The
real scenes in my dream were stronger, tormenting my mind fiercely.

I was being
persecuted by Eros, and he was leading me to a huge dark place – a decrepit room with several closed doors in it.

H
e opened one of them while looking at me slyly and making gestures with one hand. He called me, as if he were guiding me.

I woke
up before I could make the right decision. That was a stupid dream, nonsense, but I couldn’t understand why I was like that, too terrified to shut my eyes.

I
got awfully frightened again when an owl laid down my window.

I couldn
’t remember if I had left the window open. I had always closed it before going to bed.

I
was hazy about if I had fallen asleep before closing it.

The
owl stood still, glancing at me all the time, with its enormous gray eyes.

I didn
’t know exactly what was making me feel nervous again, if it was my stupid dream or the owl which was in front of me.

I rose
from my bed as I was seized by fear; I was trembling and walked slowly towards my window, trying to frighten away that awful creature with my pillow.

The owl
flew to the tree beside my house; that spot could be where the owl came from.

I
closed the window and pulled the curtains making them united. I was safe after that.

I went back to bed
and tried to sleep again.

CHAPTER 9

The
chemistry class was finally over. Mirta wasn’t in school.

I
picked up my books and carried them pressing against my chest, as usual.

Eros
and I went down stairs together. Distractedly I tumbled over one of the stair steps, and my fall down would be unavoidable if it wasn’t for Eros. He grasped me immediately.

I
became motionless before the coldness of his hand, as if it was icy. It was quite hot that day.

“
Be careful!” he warned, and pulled my left arm.

“
Wow! Your hand is so frosty!” I blurted out, staring at him again. “I meant…”

I tried to
fix the situation and was interrupted by a sensual voice.

“
I have a rare illness”, he confessed almost soundless.

I noticed
he was embarrassed after that. I knew it was due to my inappropriate commentary.

“
I avoid touching people for that reason.” He looked down, and then glanced up at me.

“
I’ve never heard about it”, I said while I was looking at the floor.

“
Because this disease strikes a person in a million, many people ignore it”, he stated, as we walked forward.

“
I’m one of these people”, I confessed.

“
It’s a perturbation for me to live with that.” Eros and I stared at each other, silently. “I look like a living dead.” His voice sounded frustrating.

We looked into each other's eyes
again.

“
Have it treatment?” I asked embarrassed and looked away quickly at the wall.

“
I have undergone several treatments, and none of them worked.” He glanced at me.

“
Are you always so… icy?” I asked, slowly.

“
All the time”, he answered; his face was very severe and he stared at me.

“
Wow!” I exclaimed.

“
See you tomorrow, Valkyrie”, he said and walked away.

“
See you tomorrow”, I replied, discouraged. I thought I shouldn’t have made that comment about his frosty hand. I hoped I hadn’t offended him.

***

On my way home, I walked very slowly and staring at the floor, thinking of Eros’ hands, how cold they were.

How
it was possible, a person being icy all the time even on warm days.

His
illness not only bothered him, but also all those who had been touched by him.

I was dying
to help him and wanted to find a cure or a solution for his problem.

I couldn
’t do anything except, I feeling sorry for him. I sighed. That made him anomalous.

***

I talked to my mother about Eros’ illness.

“
He said he suffers from a rare disease”, I said, crestfallen.

“
Your father also looked like ice.” She confessed and her eyes were wide-open, as if she were shocked.

“
My father?” I asked as her words took me by surprise. “Did he suffer from that illness?”

“
I don’t know”, she responded. “He never spoke to me… In fact, I had seen him just one time”; she seemed puzzled because of my unexpected question.

“
You and my father… Have you never dated?” I asked her, staring at her confused face.

“
I have never said this, but I think it’s time to let you know everything.” Her face looked slightly shocked.

“
Everything?” I asked, cautiously.

“
I had met your father in a nightclub; we left the place together and… How can I tell this?” she frowned.

“
You slept with him.” I affirmed, severely.

“
That's it, we spent a night together.” She sat on the sofa. “One night was enough…” she confessed, sounding repentant.

“
And I was born.” I stared at her, disgusted. “So that's why you hate him
so much!”

“
I don’t hate your father; I just avoid talking about him. It has been very hard for me, bearing all of this by myself.”

I realized
she was crying.

“
Being a single mother and not knowing who the father of my daughter was”, she put her fingers on her face and wiped away a tear.

“
You should have avoided that situation”, I said and my eyes were wide-open and sober.

“
And you wouldn’t be here”, she said, firmly.

“
It would have been better”, I said and looked for a refuge into my bedroom.

Talking about
my father had always been a torment to us.

“
Don’t tell that again, Valkyrie.” She came after me. “You are my life”, she said.

“
I didn’t tell I am not your life.” I sat on the bed and placed a cushion on my lap. “I just think you didn’t need to suffer so much… if I hadn’t been born.” I said and leaned my head.

“
I would face anything to have you here with me.”

She
confessed and hugged me tightly. Her hug expressed everything.

We
remained together for a long time. My mother was everything I had in my life and I was all she had in hers.

I
t became much clearer to me. We depended on each other.